Health

It seemed like a good idea at the time: With the incidence of peanut allergy climbing among children, the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2000 advised parents to keep peanuts far, far away from infants and toddlers who might have a life-threatening reaction to them. But a new study suggests that advice did more harm than good. A long-awaited clinical trial found that small children who avoided peanuts for the …

IUDs and implants are safe, reliable, long-acting and reversible forms of birth control. Now there’s a new attribute to add to this list: increasingly popular. A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that American women are embracing these contraceptive devices. In the last decade, their use has increased nearly fivefold, with 7.2 percent of women ages 15 …

WASHINGTON — Even as it faces another Supreme Court challenge, President Barack Obama’s health care law has steadily reduced the number of uninsured Americans, according to an extensive survey released Tuesday. The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index found that the share of adults without health insurance dropped to its lowest level in seven years in …

KEVIN GUTTING
Williston Northampton School grounds manager Joe Zewinski clears a season's worth of snow from the track at Galbraith Field in Easthampton on Monday. Zewinski says the process takes more than one day and involves several steps to move the snow from the infield to outside the track oval.
Purchase photo reprints »

KEVIN GUTTING
Full sun, temperatures in the mid-20s and calm winds made for a pleasant afternoon for Steve Leiblum and Lennie Ware of Pelham as they walked their dogs Rosa, left, and Red in an area near the Norwottuck Rail Trail south of Amherst College on Friday.
Purchase photo reprints »

From a health standpoint, experts continue to confirm that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So important that the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recently dedicated an entire mini-journal to “The Benefits of Breakfast.” Let’s …

“Put a pair of snowshoes on,” says Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center manager William Gabriel, “and you can go just about anywhere.” For those looking for more specific locations, however, here are a few popular local spots: DAR State Forest, 78 Cape St., Route 112, Goshen, 268-7098, …

As Mark Twain famously noted, New England weather can change in a minute. So can wintertime recreation conditions. Always check ahead before heading to an outdoor area. Cross country skiing For those who like a little more slide …

The hottest fitness trends for 2015 are body weight training and high intensity interval training, according to the ninth annual survey of 3,400 health and fitness professionals worldwide by the American College of Sports Medicine. Yoga is the …

There’s a new mode of winter recreation, and it’s coming to a trail near you. “Fat bikes” or “fatbikes” are so-named for their extra wide, extra stable, thickly treaded tires. They are designed for winter trail riding, but …

You’ll get no argument from most people — especially on a cold winter’s night — that hugs make you feel warm inside. But can that good feeling protect your health? Over the past decade or so, researchers have …

NEW YORK — This year’s flu vaccine is doing a pretty crummy job. It’s only 23 percent effective, which is one of the worst performances in the last decade, according to a government study released Thursday. The poor …

GREENFIELD — Leaders of a program that helps victims of drunken driving accidents and other crimes say a new affiliation with a Northampton-based behavioral health agency will strengthen services for the roughly 400 people they try to help each year. Since its start in 1997, the Community Crisis …

NORTHAMPTON — Hampshire County has landed a $550,000 grant for a new coalition to combat the epidemic of painkiller addiction that in recent years has taken a tragic toll in western Massachusetts. Northampton announced Wednesday that it had …